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tv   Politics Nation  MSNBC  December 13, 2012 3:00pm-4:00pm PST

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gingrich. it was a shame that one of the two parties got to select that. yes, i want president obama to go out in this country and grab the best possible people for the second term cabinet. i think michael bloomburg is about to become a board. he's playing behind man's bluff. why not call his bluff and ask him to get in the arena. a man who made billions in business in economic communication is the best possible person to communicate this administration's fiscal policy and world trade policy, don't you think? so let's get at it, america. the best country in the world, i'm in. that's "hardball" for now. k "politics nation" with al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks, chris, and thanks for tuning in. i am live tonight in atlanta. tonight's lead, breaking news. our ambassador to the u.n.,
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susan rer susan reiss has withdrawn her name as the next secretary of state. it comes after weeks' long witch hunt from top republicans over statements rice made following the attacks in benghazi, libya. it shows after the tragedy saying the attacks began as protests. that were then hijacked by extremists. that's what the cia believed and told her in a briefing given to her that very day. yet, john mccain and others launched a campaign to smear her and block her for moving to the state department. president obama defended rice on numerous occasions, but accepted her decision today with regrelt. just a short time ago, she explained her decision to nbc's brian williams.
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>> today, i made the decision that it was the best thing for our country, for the american people, that i not be considered for nomination for secretary of state. i didn't want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized. very distracting and very disruptive. there are so many things we need to get done as a country. and the first several months of a second term president's agenda is really the opportunity to get the the crucial thing done. job creation. that's what matters. and to the extent that my nomination could have delayed, distracted or maybe even deflected, i didn't want that. and i'd much prefer to continue doing what i'm doing, which is a job i love at the united nations. >> ambassador rice will not be secretary of state.
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but she is keeping her current job and may eventually even expand her role in the obama administration, despite these attacks from her critics. joining me now is ambassador nicholas burns, former under secretary of state and ambassador to nato. and, governor martin o'maley, democrat for maryland and co-chair of the health and security committee at the national governor's association. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> i thank you. >> thank you. >> now, ambassador burns, you had a distinguished diplomatic career. how do you explain what happened today? >> i think it's very unfair what happened to ambassador rice. she has all the qualities that one would want in secretary of state. she's smart. she's very tough-minded. she has a lot of experience at a high level serving as ambassador of the united nations. really, the last 20 years as she
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began working for president clinton, which is where i first met her, she served at a very high level of distinction. and, in my view, would have made a very fine secretary of state. it's a shame that the process had to unfold the way it did. but it is very good news that she's going to stay on at the u.n. whereby all accounts, she's represented us very well and very effectively. >> now, ambassador, let's be real clear. what happened that day was that ambassador rice went on several sunday morning talk shows and told the nation what, in fact, she was told by intelligence sources that day. and repeated what she was told. >> and that's really the way most administrations work. you need to have a unity of people speaking in public. you don't want to have people speaking across from each other. and what happens before those sunday shows, al, as you know
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very well, is that people agree on talking points. what should the officials say on major issues. had any other senior administration official been out that day, five days after benghazi, they would have more than likely said what ambassador rice did. i never thought it was fair to say that she should have sole responsibility of that. she did not have line of authority for security for our consulate in benghazi. that wasn't her job as ambassador. i thought giving her the outs, as i just said, and giving her her very good service in the obama administration, i really thought that she was qualified for this. >> governor o'maley, this, as the governor said, wasn't even in her portfolio. president obama said today in a statement while i deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on susan rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of a character and an admirable commitmented to rise above the politics of the
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moment. now, you and i certainly may admire what she's done and say that it is certainlyly that it is certainlyl showing a stateswoman-like quality. but it's certainly doing an unfairness to her and may never address it to those who never had it in her purview and correct it if they felt it needed correcting. >> well, i think, sadly, ambassador rice was a target of opportunity for a party that tends to spend a lot more time and a lot more energy on obstruction. so i think her statement was very, very mag nam mousz. i think she showed the true content of her kashlgter. and i believe that she's going to continue to serve our country. but i do think it's a sad day for the public when these sorts of falsehoods and unfair attacks
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can tie up a senate confirmation process that allows any one or two or small kabol of senators to bring the public to a screeching halt. >> now, is it not usually understood that foreign policy should be more bipartisan? and that some of these things when we're dealing with issues like this should be above the policy party bickering, governor. >> that's what you would hope. all of us would like to know what happened in benghazi. but this is a very dangerous world. and, in this case, this incident was unfolding and being investigated at the same time that ambassador rice was on the sunday show. so i think, especially, as we -- as we go back and unpack benghazi, i think it's important that we rise above politics and focus on how we can best protect our men and women who are ser serving us abroad and many of
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them are republicans, democrats and independents. this is much bigger than any partisan politics. but, sadly, the republican party still hasn't gotten the message of this last election. people want their representatives to focus on the things that make us safer. that make us economically stronger. that grow our economy and strengthen our middle class. >> ambassador, you have served under republican and democratic administrations. is it not your experience that, usually, we strive to be a little more bipartisan when you're dealing with foreign affairs? >> that's been the aspiration for a long time in american foreign policy. we don't always meet the goal. foreign policy is a place that we've got to come together and boet political parties certainly do. and the agenda is a very, very challenging one for president obama. everything from the afghan war, how do we get out of afghanistan, to making sure that iran does not achieve a nuclear weapons capability, dealing with
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a nort korea fleet. dealing with the arab nations. these are the issues that the next secretary of state has to deal with, along with president obama, working for president obama, obviously. and that's really where our focus should be. and it's been just a tragedy that we've now spent three months focused on these questions about benghazi where there was an official commission, an accountability review board designated by secretary clinton to be the official -- to ask the questions in an official way for the u.s. government. that group is just about to report its findings. and secretary clinton will be asked to testify next week before the senate and the house. i really wish we'd been able to deal with issues. >> i certain lif agree, today, ambassador and governor, even today, the strongest critics of mccain, senator graham, senator iod. it says at one hand, they praise
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and still take a shot before they can finish praising them. senator lindsey, i respect ambassador rice's decision. senator . >> next sentence, i will continue to seek all the facts about benghazi. other agencies are stone walling on libya. senator ayott, going beyond any one individual. they can't even be mag nam mouse in the face of such states woman ship that was demonstrated by this ambassador, susan rice, today, governor, o'maley? >> yes, it's hard for them. the republican party has twisted itself in the sense of a corkscrew state. that they're just having a hard time right now as a party. it would be great if the party of lincoln would reemerge and take control of what's been made of the republican party.
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we have very serious issues to grow our economy. to strengthen our middle class. and these republicans, both in the senate in this case and republican governors tend to focus their efforts on rolling back women's rights, rolling back workers rights, instead of focusing on the things that make us safer and more secure and to grow our economy and strengthen our middle class. people, i think, are not going to be very forgiving of this. i do believe that what they see abld what's happened in michigan with the passage of right to work, really the right to work for less. and now with forcing a very qualified and competent woman out of contention for secretary of state, it paints a pretty unfortunate picture for the republican party. >> ambassador and governor, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend al. >> thank you very much. >> coming up, the far right's witch hunt against susan rice.
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what was it really all about? plus, breaking news at this moment. john boehner is meeting with president obama at the white house. we have new signs today that the gop's support is crumbling. and they called it the crime of the century. five young men convicted of a heinous assault in new york's central park. the only problem sfwh they didn't do it. once a juvenile is broken down, you can basically tell him anything. and, you know, they fed me the names. >> my interview with the central park five, a powerful story of injustice and fighting for what's right. you're watching po ining "polit nation" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing.
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more on ambassador susan rice's decision to withdraw her name as secretary of state. it's a loss for the country. that's next. you're not using too much are you, hon? ♪ nope. [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. don't worry, there's plenty left for you dad. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra soft?
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susan rice announcement toad comes after months of republy scan attacks. >> select committee. if appointed, clears you of any wrong doing. besides not being very bright because it was obvious that this was not a "flash mob." >> how could we -- where we are right now -- be able to place our trust in her. >> i don't trust her. and the reason i don't trust her
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is because i think she knew better. and if she didn't know better, she shouldn't be the voice of america. >> not very bright? didn't trust her? these attacks were ugh ri and openly partisan. in our letter to president obama, ambassador rice addressed her critics saying, "the position of secretary of state should never be politicized. i am saddened that we have re h reached this point even before you've decided who to nominate. we cannot afford such an irresponsible distraction from the most pressing issues facing the american people. with but these republicans didn't care about distractions. they were simply playing politics. joining me now is congresswoman gwen moore, democrat from wisconsin. she was a staunch supporter of rice amid the republican criticism. and joan walsh, editor at large of salon.com and an msnbc
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political analyst. thank you both for being here tonight. >> thank you, reverend. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. >> congresswoman, what is your reaction to ambassador rice's announcement? >> i can tell you, i'm saddened. i'm enraged. this was always a fabricated, trumped up allegation. this, you know, not very briegt, there's not enough time on this program to walk through her tremendous accomplishments over the last 20 years in public service. i think that the republicans see an opportunity to have senator kerry appointed as secretary of state. and be able to rup a special election off cycle to be able to -- to win john kerry's seet in massachusetts. as you might remember, president obama sort of blew romney away in massachusetts. 60% to about 39%. and it was a little bit closer
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with the elizabeth, warren brown race. 63% to maybe about 43%. so all throughout these trumped up charges of her not being very bright and trustworthy, they always ep ended every sentence with but you know, senator kerry would be a, you know, confirmed without a hitch. so this is about his partisan as we have seen republicans. >> now, joan, the congresswoman raises the politics of it, which i want to raise. but it was very personal. a source close tells us this week that it has been vicious, says rice lawless who spoke on the condition of anonimty. there is a strain of sexism in these attacks. and when you look at them saying she's not very bright, look at her background. 2009 until now, u.s. ambassador
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to the u.n. 2004, foreign policy advisors to the john kerry campaign. 1993 to 2001 in the clinton administration. she's a road scholar. a ph.d. from oxford yumpbts. i mean, to say she's not bright is just absolutely outrageous. >> no, i mean, reverend al, the body language when they talked about her, lindsey graham say k i don't trust her. it's so personal. it's very deep. it's very, very disturbing. and it's also deeply political, you know. john mccain is a terribly sore loser. susan rice said some things in 2008 defending her candidate for president. he's never forgiven her. lindsey graham, all the man cares about is fighting off a tea party challenger. he gets to go back to south carolina and he gets to say i thwarted the president, the newly-reelected president, and i took down a wonderful african american woman.
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i have to say i don't know that they're deliberately putting race in the equation, but maybe there's something unconscious about it. but a lot of the people who have been targeted in the situation have been african americans. i don't know how it works out that way. but it has. it's a sad day. susan rice will be fine. she's going to go on and do great things for the country. but we've lost a public servant. and the president has been thwarted. and i think this boeds terribly for the supposed, new bipartisan cooperation that we're all supposed to hope for. >> congresswoman, we've also seen a blatant double standard. in november, matt lowe, he con fronted mccane about why he stood up for condolisa rice after a mass of intelligence failure in 2005. let me show you both the question and the response and
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get you to give me your view on this. >> you said opponents were expressing sour grapes after an election loss. why is this different? >> because every intelligence agency in the world, including the british, believe iraq had weapons of mass destruction. that was an entirely different situation. >> so when the intelligence believed there were weapons of mass destruction that were not there, it was fine because they believed it. but when they give susan rice talking points that they believe to be true, all of the sudden, she's not bright. she can't be trusted. she can't be the secretary of state. what kind of nonsense is this, congresswoman? >> it's nonsense. i mean, what kind of answer is that, reverend sharpton? you're absolutely right. the intelligence community stands behind susan rice one hundred percent for the intelligence they had at that time. and, of course, i would have to
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agree with joan walsh. her analysis is painfully, painfully accurate. it's aparnts they have not learned one thing as they continue to isolate women, isolate people of color, their chances of ever being a legitimate party, a significant party to be able to take over the white house, again, beyond their jer manderring is really in jeopardy. >> congresswoman gwen moore, joan walsh, thank you both for your time. >> i've read your book, joan. it's brilliant. >> thank you, congresswoman moore. i really appreciate that. >> breaking news. tonight, speaker boehner and president obama meeting at the white house. happening right now. plus, the stunning injustice of the central park five. young men con viktsed of a horrible assault in new york city. the story shocked the nation.
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senator john kerry is now the leading candidate to be secretary of state. if he gets the job, his sentence seat would be filled with a special election. guess who was just voted out of
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office and would love another chance? >> as i've said before, defeat is temporary. depending on what happens and where we go, all of us, we may obviously meet again. that o that's right. republicans hope kerry gets picked so brown can try to win back the cd loss. of course, it doesn't have to be that way. are you listening, bonnie frank? are you listening ed markey? are you listening joe kennedy? there are plenty of good democrats who could give scott brown a run for his money. we hope they're getting ready just in case. copd makes it hard to breathe,
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♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills. we're back with breaking news. president obama and john boehner have just wrapped up a meeting at the white house.
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first reports? there's no sign of progress. each day that passes, boehner seems to be leading a party that's just out of touch. the new nbc journal poll shows 76% would accept raising taxes on those making over $250,000. just 22% find that unacceptable. but, this morning, speaker boehner couldn't do anything kpe except repeat those old, tired, talking points. >> here we are at the 11th hour, and the president still isn't serious about dealing with this issue right here. it's this issue. spending. >> ifs, ands and buts are like candy and nuts. if that were the case, every day would be like christmas. >> somebody better tell him it is almost christmas. right now, his party is about as
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popular as the grinch. the nbc poll finds that just 30% of americans have a positive view of the party. 45% have a negative view, a 15 point difference. and look at this. from the pugh center, just 25% have approval of the job republican leaders are doing. compare that to president obama's approval numbers. 55%. americans are pleading for the two sides to come together for compromise, for fairness. but republicans refuse to listen to them. so who exactly are they listening to? with me mow, former pennsylvania governor ed rendell, now an nbc political news analyst and crystal ball, co-host here on msnbc. governor, why aren't republicans listening to the american people on this issue?
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>> first, i want to say governor patrick would be a dynamite candidate, too. >> the governor could appoint himself. >> and he would be awesome. i believe that with all of myhearted. >> yeah, he would be a worthy contender. >> worthy contender, yes. >> the answer is republicans are still absolutely tied to this ideology they're anchored with the tea party. they can't extricate themselves. they're on a path to destruction. if they keep this up, the 2014 elections are going to be a lot worse than the 2012 elections for them. this is as much of a path towards self defeat as i've ever seen. they are out of touch with the american people. 76-22? you could barely get 76% of the american people to agree that today is thursday. >> crystal, when you look at the polling, the new party says 53%
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say republican party, only 33% democratic. >> when jou sdeel with the poll, more willing to work with the party, democrats, the donkey symbol, 50%. only 37% feel the republicans are willing to work with the other party. have they learned anything from the last election? >> well, i think they're going to learn something from the last election. but, no, i don't think they've learned it yet. i think a lot of republicans still feel like they're going to have leverage in the debt ceiling fight. and they're more concerned, frankly, about primaries in their own districts rather than general elections and appealing to nod rat and independent volters. so that's the political kal clous that's going on. i've got to say, i'm looking at those numbers and i think they're only going to get worse as we go through the fiscal cliff negotiations.
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again, once again, they're going to hold the process that the american people did not much enjoy. and they're going to do that to try to get something very unpopular, which is taking away a lot of people's medicare benefits. ak they're only going to see more intransigent work stream. more out of touch of where the american people are. governor, carl rove was with bill o'riley. watch this. >> i think what the speaker is trying to get across is at this point, the republicans are pretty much in disarray. they can't compete with the organized democratic machine. that's why romney lost.
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>> they are in disarray. they doept have a clue of what to do. they're not in any way consistent with what they want. they want taxes raised on the rich. it spurred 23.5 million new jobs in six years. americans get that stuff. they've got to be voiced and sustained. by the way, all of this is political calculation. crystal is right. they're worried about the primary. good lord, have some guts and do what's right for america. president obama has put a 45-page plan out, 27 pages of spending cuts in his plan. now, is that not enough for republicans? negotiate that. >> now, a new analysis was put out, crystal, by gop strategist
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with heirs is getting some attention. it describes the gop as a regional party with few national pros pekts. and it says republicans have run out of persuadable white voters. when you look at that and the new nbc poll shows that only two groups view the republican party favored, white southerners and rural americans. when you come pain what heirs is saying and the poll, they have really closed the boundaries on their own party. and unless they can seek to expand and change their policies and, therefore, their branding, they will be a party that continues to diminish. >> that's absolutely right. this was the last election where there was any chance with their coalition, they could win a
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national election. if they don't expand, forget it. it's off the table for 2016. there's no way. and i think in a lot of ways, they're driving that picture about republicans. they're in such deep, red districts. they're concerned about the growth that they can't or they feel like they can't politically move to the center at all. the further to the right, the better it is for these members of congress plitsically. and that bleeds observe into the national picture. mitt romney was forced to move so far to the right, those are still likely to be the folks who turn out for national elections in the future. so they're really in a bind. who they're appealing to and who
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they're getting to turn out in primaries. what's worse is they're getting clobbered with what republicans are doing on the state level. ohio lost in mississippi. you've got to sit back and say the republican party is whacked out. >> i'll have to leave it there. governor ed rendell and chris that ball, thanks for your time this evening. and be sure to catch crystal on "the cycle" weekdays at 3:00 p.m. right here on msnbc. coming up, it was called the central park driving case. now, a powerful new documentary investigates this tragic mischaracter of justice. five young men convicted of a heinous assault in central park. but they didn't do the crime. my interview with them and the
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film maker who's telling their story. that's coming up. [ whistle blows ]
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: >> a powerful and important new
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documentary exposes the injustice of the central park five. young men accused of a terrible crime called the central park jogger case. they were attacked in the press, convicted at trial and sent to prison. the only problem? they were innocent. >> kids were very fragile at the time. they would tell my mother, don't worry. he's going to come out soon. >> my interview with the film maker at the central park five is next. [ male announcer ] this is sheldon, whose long dy setting up the news
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it's debilitating when you try to talk, when you're trying to eat, when you're trying to sleep. i'm constantly licking my lips. water would address the symptoms for just a few minutes. the hygienist recommended biotene. it's clean and refreshing, i feel like i have plenty of fluid in my mouth.
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i brush with the biotene toothpaste and i use the mouthwash every morning. it's changed my life. it is the last thing i do before i walk out the door. biotene gives me that fresh confident feeling. look this isn't my first christmas. these deals all seem great at the time... but later... [ shirt ] merry christmas, everybody! not so much. ho ho ho! this isn't that kind of deal. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. save on ground shipping at fedex office. april, 1989. an attack on a woman in new york city's central park shook the residents of this city and reverberated across the country. it came to be known simply as the central park jogger case. five young men were arrested for the attack. and on the 28-year-old investment banker in the park, they were accused of raping her and severely beating her.
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and leaving her for dead in the bushes. the teenagers, four blacks and one hispanic, were 14, 15 and 16 years old. they did not know each other. they were described as a pack of wild animals. a new term was created. wilding. in this case, the justice system moved quickly. under intense police interrogation, the teenagers all confessed to the crime. but almost immediately, they recanted those confessions showing at trial they were convicted anyway and they spent from 7 to 13 years in state prison. but there was a problem in this case. the five young men had nothing to do with the story of the central park jogger. we know that because 13 years later, this man came forward and confessed to the crime.
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his dna matched that was found at the scene. he confessed while already serving 33 years to life for other crimes, including rape and murder. these young men should have been presumed innocent and i helped to raise money to help bail them out of jail. ten years ago this movant, they were exonerated. and now, an important new documentary is bringing new light to this ugly chapter in new york's history. >> the police controlled the story. >> they seized on the fears of the peeld. >> wilding. the best characterization of the black man. >> for a long time, many people thought this case had one victim. the truth is there are six victims in this story. today, we need to take a new look at the conduct of police in this case.
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some for more than 24 hours with no lawyers present. i spoke recently to four of those five now men and the film maker who's telling the real story of what happened. joining me now, four of five of the men convicted that they did not commit. you said he was 15 at the time of his arrest. kevin richardson, then just 14 years old. raymond santana, also 14. and corey at 16, he was the oldest of the five and was tried as an adult. also, with her husband, david mcmcman. first of all, thank you all for being here tonight. now, you were 14? >> yes, i was 14.
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>> where was your lawyer? >> i didn't have any lawyer. >> did you have a lawyer? >> no, sir. >> did you have a lawyer? >> no, sir. so all of this happened with no lawyers. >> were your parents there? >> some of our parents were there. >> i've never seen her. i would hear her voice and see her peep into the room. and the detective, they were using like a tactic. these were seasoned professionals. we were kids. very fragile at the time. they would tell my mother, don't worry. we just want to speak to him. at the time, she was very weak, you know. she couldn't really stand up as much. so she sat down for a while. and while they would take her away, that's when themd work on me. the reality of the matter, none of us, including our parents, had never had any involvement with the law.
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they were just as ignorant as we were. sometimes people look at the film and look at the story of the central park jogger case. they say to us, well, why would your parents not scream? we want a lawyer. all you've got to do is say this and we'll let your sons go home. this is the amount of technology they were using was so devious that it caused even our parents at the point of saying, you know what, maybe if we just go along with it we'll be able to get out of here. and that wasn't what happened. >> noi, let me take you back to the interrogation. kechb, let me show you a clip where raymond and kevin are talking about how police tried to play you against each other. watch this. >> you're not saying nothing, but i'm like i didn't do anything. it's like oh, i just want to
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help. i know you didn't do anything. you're a good kid. this isn't you. you pulled out this picture of carol richardson. and he goes do you know this kid? i said no, i don't know him. he said you see the scratches on his eye? that came from the woman. they know you did it. he's going down. >> at this point, i'm, like, you know, i don't know these guys are there. so i'm just going to make up something. and include these guys names. >> okay, if you're going to do it to me, i'm going to do it to you. >> it was culture to me and i'm just writing it down. >> now, police actually told you the other ones that implicated you so you -- is that how this confession happened? you just made things up?
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well, they were just coaching us to write things on the paper. words that a 14 yooerld wouldn't know. and at the end of the day, we were tired from lack of sleep, lack of food, lack of showers. we were just wanting it to go home. we wanted it to go away. >> once a juvenile is broken down, you can basically tell them anything. they fed me the names. they fed me who used the rock because we knew that that was used. >> these are police telling you? >> the police. and all the while, detective hardi hardigan is saying i know you want to go home. >> and they screamed at you? >> definitely. there were times when my grandmother took me out of the room and started yelling me in the face and the detective was yelling in my ear. >> corey, you said you made things up just to save your life. what was going through your head? >> been there too long. just been there too long. it wasn't no playground for me.
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i wanted to get the hell out of there. they were just holding me. holding me hostage there just to give them the story that they wanted. >> so you thought if you just made it up, they would let you go? >> right. i had no parent or lawyer there. i just really didn't know what the hell to do. >> so there was no physical evidence, no dna, nothing at all that con nerkted any of you all to the case? the only thing that convicted you were the confessions? >> raymond, you said that you just kept waiting for it to be over. when did you begin to realize it wasn't going to be over for a long time? >> you know, being 14, a lot of stiff goes over your head. you don't know what happens. it all seems like a blur. it all seems like this nightmare that you can't wake up from. you can't escape from. even from now, to this day, it's still not over. we still have this chapter that hasn't been closed.
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that we're still fighting the civil suit and people are still saying we're guilty. the night mary continues. >> sarah, police and prosecutors were not interviewed for the film. they maintained that they did nothing wrong. >> well, we tried to interview them. we had hoped to include them. they wouldn't return our calls or they wouldn't because of the civil suit in our defendants. >> i want to show you this. this is david denkins, who was the mayor of new york at the time. >> the accounts given by the five defendants differed from one another on the specific details of virtually every major aspect of the crime. who initiated the attack, who knocked the victim down, who undressed her, who struck her, who held her, who raped her, what weapons were used in the course of the assault. abds some of what they said was
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simply contrary to establish fact. now, this is a damn shame. >> i mean, he was mayor at the time. and when the report comes out that exonerates them, sarah, they still, to this day, have not been compensated or cleared? >> right, the convictions were vacated in 2002. so in that sensz, they were cleared. but that was still cast into doubt at that time. so i think it causes a lot of people to still have questions about whether they did this or not. the facts just don't support that. it's very clear. as you hear what denkins is reading, we know who did this. it wasn't these guys. and it's very clear that they didn't do it. >> you all filed the civil suit against the city in i think it was 2003. where does the suit stand today?
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>>. >> it's unbelievable that this lawsuit has just started. it's moving at such a snail's pace. everybody who sees this film, this important film, they realize that, one, if they bought the lie back in 1989, how they were tricked. they're so upset and out raged, that the fact that the city is still dragging their feet in trying to compensate us, you know, they wanted us to die a social delt. this was a death sentence. they wanted society to kill us off, as well. never in a million years did they want us to succeed and be here before you today telling the truth ant this matter. >> film just opened. it's an important story and a powerful one. thank you for sharing with us. >> there are many questions left about the

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